BJP in Kerala on Wednesday said religious study centres should be set up in all temples coming under various Devaswom boards of the state government to create awareness among various sections of Hindu community and attract more people to the faith.

Party leader and state spokesperson M S Kumar said steps should be taken not only to open religious study centres but also to restart religious conventions and preaching.

“Creating religious awareness is among the basic objectives of the Devaswom Boards. So, steps should be taken to set up religious study centres in temples under the ambit of the Boards,” he told reporters.

He said religious studies had been stopped in the state in recent times “due to political interventions” and it should be restarted.

Prayar Gopalakrishnan, the president of Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages a number of shrines in southern part of the state, had said recently that it would set up religious study centres in all temples under its ambit within a year to attract more people.

On the recent controversies regarding the Sabarimala temple, Kumar said ulterior motives and moves to destroy the Lord Ayyappa shrine were suspected behind the developments.

The BJP leader was referring to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s suggestions to keep the temple open throughout the year for darshan in view of the heavy rush during festival seasons and the controversy which it triggered.

On the entry of women of all age groups into the shrine, he said “there is no ban on women at Sabarimala. There is only some restrictions for women of certain age group”.